United and Together
by Queen of the Beasts
Summary: *Set after AoE, read on your own risk* Shortly after the Battle of Hong Kong, four strangers show up at Sam's front door, with whatever adventure awaits for them as they're being chased by a mysterious mercenary. Rated T for mild swearing. SW/MB and Drift/Arcee, some bromance and friendship bonding.
1. Stranger at the Door

**I know I have other stories going on, but this one I really couldn't resist. It's a pretty funny one, even though it starts out dramatic and agnsty at the beginning, inspiration coming from Bee Movie. If you have never seen, nor heard of it, it's a good movie. I would recommend it before knowing what you're about to read. You don't, really, but if you're a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld...**

**Anyways, how about I let you read now while I try to whip up the second one?**

1. Stranger at the Door

The sky was dark with rain clouds and twenty-five year old Sam Witwicky sat at the table, listening to the rain pound against the windows and the roof. He stared blankly at the walls, blinking his eyes before leaning against the chair and stared at the ceiling, the TV playing in the background. He wanted to be anywhere but here in this wooden house, feeling lost and alone. The place felt cold, empty and hollow. Even Bumblebee would agree...His thoughts came to a screeching halt and he squeezed his eyes bitterly.

After Chicago, the connection between the two worlds felt like they had shattered altogether. Sam felt that something was very, very wrong. His girlfriend, Carly, could even tell that something terrible was in the air. Bumblebee was tensed and soon, that nagging feeling was growing there.

Then he got a call from Robert, telling him that a human organization called Cemetary Wind was hunting down Decepticons, forcing NEST to disband. Sam began to grow worry about Bumblebee. If these guys were hunting down the Decepticons, what purpose would the Autobots serve? His parents, particularly his dad, had encouraged him that he shouldn't worry, just as long as they weren't hunting the Autobots down. And Sam still had the scout should anything go wrong, right? Still, Sam felt like he had the right to worry about Bumblebee and the rest of his teammates.

One day, when Carly was at home while they were at a conference in Missouri, Sam had gotten a call. When he answered, there was a sharp silence.

"Hello?" Sam spoke.

"Sam, it's Will."

"Oh, hi." Sam sounded jubilant to hear the ex-soldier. "It's great to hear from you. How is everything?"

"Sam," Will said, this time with distress. "Is Bumblebee still there with you?"

Sam frowned. "Is something wrong? Do they need him? How many Cons this time?"

"It's not Cons," Will stated. "It's worse than that. Sam, you have to get him far away from you as possible."

"What?" Sam couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"Sam..." Will was silent. "Sam, they killed Carly and burnt your house down."

There was a clattering of the phone and a horrific cry echoing the walls. What was worse when they came for him...

He retaliated.

Scrubbing the blood off of his face and arms, the young man now understood that Will was right. He didn't care if he was going to hell now because of what he did. What mattered right now was that Bumblebee got out of there fast. An agonizing good-bye was the thing that drove him out of Chicago and up here to the shores of Camden, Maine.

Sam was brought back to reality when he heard the familiar voice of the newscaster announce "...battle in Hong Kong, Cemetary Wind members are immediately being hunted down and the whole organization disbanded. KSI is being held responsible for the creation of the destruction that has been caused here. While the Dinobots are being held in custody under Chinese government and the ruins taken care of with the help of the U.S. government, the Autobots have now disappeared back to wherever they had hidden for in the past four years."

Sam's heart leaped in his chest. Could it be? It sounded too good to be true. But just in case, he reached for the phone in his pocket and scrolled through the names. He found Bumblebee's and hit the button before pressing the device to his ear.

"_Hey, you have reached me,"_ a mixture of voices said, causing Sam to curse. But it was a sign that he was okay. _"Sorry if you get my answering systems, bro, but if you just leave a nice message then I will get back at ya later on. Bye!"_

"Bee, it's Sam," Sam spoke into the phone. "I, oh God, I don't know where to start." He took a deep breath and continued, "I heard what happened today on the news in China and I just wanted to know if you were okay. If you're wondering about me, I'm fine. I'll understand if you don't call me back because of what happened between us and Wind." He paused and added, "Anyways, I didn't move on like you suggested, but I'm fine. If you would like, call me, okay? Goodbye."

A quarter of an hour had passed when a small rapping at the door broke the silence. Sam looked up with a frown. Who on Earth would be out there standing on his porch in this weather? The knock echoed through his house again and he groaned, finally getting up to the door.

"Hang on!" Sam called out as he opened it. His eyes settled on a figure with hunched shoulders standing in the middle of his porch, soaking wet in the rain. The person was obviously male, though he had somewhat dark hair that looked matted and the tips sticking to his hair. He wore nothing but a black hoodie, which clung clammily to a lanky body, and dirty denim slacks that reached the top of his shoes. Sam was alarmed to find someone around his age with small numerous scars on every inch of his tan skin.

The face caught his attention. Blue rounded eyes, half-lidded with exhaustion, met his hazel gaze. They looked familiar. Even dulled as they were, they did make him wonder if he had seen them before.

Sam sighed as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bee, I swear you're in every single person I see," the Witwicky boy grumbled.

The stranger seemed taken back, blinking his eyes before his brows furrowed in worry. "Not good?" he asked in an English dialect.

"Not good enough." It took him a while for it to register, and the stranger couldn't help but smile as Sam's mouth dropped.


	2. The Pathetic, Dirty, Fleshy Foursome

2. The Pathetic, Dirty, Fleshy Foursome

"Bumblebee, you bastard!" Sam shouted.

"Oh, you're face," Bumblebee laughed. "You're face."

"You utter..." Sam never got the chance to finish as he started to punch the scout in the shoulder.

"Sam, I'm sorry." But Bumblebee sounded like he wasn't as he roared with laughter.

"You bloke!" Sam hollered, though he was trying hard not to smile. "I knew it! I knew you were alive after what happened in Hong Kong!"

"You said such sweet things," Bumblebee chuckled. "I didn't think you still cared for me."

"I will kill you if you tell anyone about this," Sam almost laughed.

"Please, killing me," Bumblebee snickered. "That was so nine years ago."

Sam couldn't help but smile as he suddenly threw his arms around him. "I'm just glad you're alive."

"Eh, Bumblebee," a voice called out from outside. "Is he gonna let us in or wha'?"

"Who the heck is that?" Sam asked, peering over Bumblebee's shoulder to see three blurry figures on the sidewalk.

"My comrades," Bumblebee said.

"Comrades?" Sam raised a brow.

"Can we stay for a while?" Bumblebee gave Sam a sheepish grin.

Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure of it, unless he knew them well enough. "Alright, alright. But I have to know exactly who they are and what happened before I know what I'm dealing with."

Bumblebee grinned from ear to ear before he turned around and called out, "Okay, guys."

Sam stepped back as three men came into the house, drenched from the downpour. His eyes gawked at them in surprise. "Holy..."

"Well, Mista Galaxy Supreme stands before us," one of them exclaimed. "This must be the sap Bee enjoys yappin' about."

Sam looked this one up and down. He was a tall and slender man with pale skin and a restless face. Strands of golden blond hair nearly stuck out wildly out of his goggles. What made him stand out was that the trench coat was lime green and his shirt, pants, and boots were black.

"Mr. Galaxy Supreme?" Sam questioned, though he did like the spin in it.

"Ah, don't listen to Crosshairs here," the tallest of the four said. "He's full of himself."

"Mah head ain't th' one filled with hot air," Crosshairs shot back.

The tallest frowned, folding his beefy arms over his broad chest. Army green clothing covered him and his beer gut. Sam nearly saw that this must be some type of engineer, what with the short graying, ash brown hair.

The third stranger looked like a modern day version of a samurai, the helmet tucked protectively under one arm. His thin eyes were filled with piqued curiosity as they roamed about the room. Short dark brown hair laid on the top of his head. There was a hint of five o'clock shadow on his chin and above his upper chin.

_Maybe he's the Japanese version of Tony Stark,_ Sam thought with humor before the third member turned to him. He was shocked to watch the man bow down to him in respect.

"Kon'nichiwa, Samuel," the man greeted. "My name is Drift."

Sam stared at him. Never before had he met someone with respect towards even an ordinary.

"And I'm Hound," the bigger man introduced, tipping his cap.

Sam nodded. "Just, um, out of curiosity, why are you guys human?"

There was utter silence. "Well, this is what happened..." Bumblebee started.

_**As all four Autobots zoomed down the highway as fast as they could to town, they were hoping that it wasn't demolished. Galvatron was back, and this would not end so well.**_

_**:On your guard.: Bumblebee said. :Megatron can be tricky if he wants to be.:**_

"_**Ah thought his name is Galvatron now," Crosshairs said.**_

_**:Just find him and stop him.: Bumblebee groaned, right as they saw smoke rising into the air.**_

"_**Be cautious while we can," Drift suggested. "He may be, as the scout puts, tricky."**_

"_**Found him!" Hound announced.**_

_**Bumblebee looked ahead to find the former Decepticon leader standing at an intersection.**_

"_**Run, humans," Galvatron taunted. "Run for your lives. I enjoy it."**_

"_**Ah got him!" Crosshairs shouted, zooming forward.**_

_**:Crosshairs, wait!: Bumblebee called out, but his words fell on deaf audio receptors as Crosshairs transformed and slammed into Galvatron, pinning him to a nearby building by the shoulders. Galvatron just raised a leg and kicked Crosshairs in the stomach. The paratrooper hit the dirt with a thud. A sudden blow to the jaw sent Galvatron staggering. He reeled in pain as he felt his back being peppered with gunfire. He turned to see Bumblebee running at him. "You have no soul!" the scout shouted.**_

"_**That is why I fear nothing," Galvatron shot back, firing a missile at him.**_

"_**Go, now!" Drift shouted to a group of humans, who quickly obeyed. He unsheathed his swords and charge forward. Galvatron just batted him to the side. The constant onslaught from the Autobots wasn't doing much harm to him. It was just making him angry.**_

_**Very angry.**_

_**Galvatron pulled out an object and threw it at them before materializing and flying off. When Hound caught it, he was confused. "What the pit–" He never got the chance to finish as a brilliant engulfed everyone and everything around them.**_

_**A while later, Cade and Tessa had made it to the city with Shane. They got of the car and saw a crowd of people on the streets, right on the places were the Autobots once stood. There was no sign to see if they had survived or not. Cade began to grow worried. Tessa turned and sobbed quietly in Shane's shoulder.**_

"_**Mommy," a little boy asked. "Are the good robots dead?"**_

"_**I don't know," the mother replied to her son, lifting her up in her arms. "I don't know.**_

"_**What just happened?" a young man asked.**_

"_**I think that thing disintegrated them," his companion said. **_

_**A small sob escaped Tessa as Cade bowed his head down in grief. Tears threatened to leak from his eyes as the people began to wonder what had happened.**_

_**The chilling night rolled around as the town was being cleared. The entire community was exhausted beyond compare. The Autobots had put their all into that showdown. They had no corpse or anything to make their efforts not feel wasted.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>In the bay by Camden, a hand shot out and a human figure shot up from underneath it. He coughed and sputtered, swimming for shore and dragging himself onto the sand. He gasped for air, body aching for air as it eased up and down. He finally managed to calm down before he supported himself up. That was when he saw his hands.<strong>_

_**Shock ran through him as he brought them up close. He turned them in disbelief, examining them. He couldn't believe his rotten luck. No way this was real. Yet here was, in the flesh. **_**Literally****_._**

"_**Oh, slag no!"**_

_**Bumblebee jerked his head up to find a blond stranger angry as a hornet. Two other men were crawling out of the water, not believing it.**_

"_**Ah can' believe dis," Crosshairs snapped. He looked up at Bumblebee and shouted, "We're those fleshies!"**_

"_**Yeah, I think I've noticed," Bumblebee said.**_

_**There was a slight rumble before they found drops of rain coming down on them.**_

"_**Well, that's just great," Hound growled as they headed for the road.**_

"_**Hound, have patience," Drift said, though he was studying the flesh on his hands.**_

_**"Oh, taxi!" Bumblebee called out as he waved a hand.**_

_**The taxi, however, passed him and the puddle of water was splashed onto him, soaking him wet. Two of them laughed as he spitted out the water that had gotten into his mouth. "It's not funny."**_

_**"Ah respectfully disagree," Crosshairs snickered.**_

_**Bumblebee growled as they wandered down the road. Of all the things he had got stuck into was this situation with these three. He had found little comfort when he even knew how the human world worked. On the other hand...**_

_**_What_ was on the other hand?**_

_**A sort of ear-shattering music forced them to jump. Drift had drawn the swords from his back as Hound grabbed a grenade and Crosshairs took a fighting stance.**_

_**"What was that?" Hound asked.**_

_**Bumblebee fished out the object that was vibrating in his pocket. He pulled out a phone and stared at the caller ID. Why did the number look **_**familiar****_?_**

"_**Who is it?" Drift asked.**_

_**Bumblebee turned to him when the receiver picked up the message.**_

"_**Bee, it's Sam."**_

_**Bumblebee stared at the phone. Was it for real?**_

"_**I, oh God, I don't know where to start."**_

"_**Ain't he th' sucker ya like ta yap abou'?" Crosshairs asked.**_

"_**I heard what happened today on the news in China and I just wanted to know if you were okay. If you're wondering about me, I'm fine. I'll understand if you don't call me back because of what happened between us and Wind."**_

"_**What did you two do?" Hound asked, raising a brow.**_

"_**Anyways, I didn't move on like you suggested, but I'm fine. If you would like, call me, okay? Goodbye."**_

_**Bumblebee hung up. There was an awkward silence between all four of them.**_

"_**Change of plans," he announced at last. "Maybe he'll help us, once I find out where he's at."**_

"_**I can try," Drift said, taking the phone.**_

"_**Wha' did ya two do?" Crosshairs was suddenly curious now.**_

_**Bumblebee glared at him.**_

"_**It seems he lives around here," Drift spoke. "But, it's gonna be one hell of a walk."**_

_**"I could use a good walk," Hound said.**_

"Wait, Megatron is back?" Sam was confused. "I saw Optimus rip his head off four years back in Chicago."

"So did we," Drift said, sitting on the couch. "Then this organization came along, also with KSI. They had a whole mess of dead Decepticon heads and they were downloading their minds. One of our other allies was hooked up to Megatron, and that mind wasn't dead as they thought. He fed them the science and specs. All so they could build him a brand-new body."

"Then he infected it with his chromosomes," Bumblebee added. "KSI might have named the body Galvatron, but that's just Megatron reincarnated! He's been playing them all this time, all so that he could manipulate them into going after the Seed."

Sam frowned.

"Listen," Hound explained. "Sixty million years ago, give or take an eon, thousands of planets were cyber-formed with Seeds. They turned your organic life into our elemental metals. Our creators destroyed your world to make us."

"So, the dinosaurs became extinct because of..." Now Sam was puzzled. "But the Allspark..."

"A minory setback," Drift explained.

"Tha's wha' Galvatron wanted ta happen again," Crosshairs said. "He wanted ta detonate tha' Seed in the biggest city and kill millions! He was gonna show the world, 'Baby, Ah'm back.'"

"So, where's Optimus?" Sam asked. "Is he okay?"

Hound sighed as he removed his cap. "He's fine, but he left to get that blasted Seed far from here as possible."

Sam was silent as he slowly sat down in a chair. Optimus was still alive, so was Bumblebee. He had heard that the Wreckers were dead, no word on Ratchet or anyone else. This was beyond anything he had experienced beforehand.

"I'll get rooms to set up for you," he decided, getting up and dragging himself upstairs.

"He's a nice man," Drift commented.

"Just as long as you say you'll go wherever he goes when he's got a girl," Bumblebee teased.

"I heard that!" Sam shouted.

Upstairs, Sam thought, "This is going to be a long and interesting night."

* * *

><p>It wasn't the only thing that would get interesting. When they were all asleep, a tall and lanky person limped into town. The rain had stopped and the moon caught onto his snow white hair while it reflected in his electric blue eyes.<p>

A sharp pain throbbed in his chest, forcing his hand over the left side of his chest. His heart had been a bit of trouble, but right now it did not matter. He grunted, gritting his teeth in pain. Once it faded, he looked down the street, looking for the house instructed.

"This can't be the right place," he said. "The last time I checked, he lived in Tranquility."

His gaze wandered at the end of the street, hoping no one was awake. The finely trimmed brows over his eyes narrowed.

"Well, I've got to start somewhere, don't I?"

Without another word, Ratchet limped forward, hoping that the voice was right about it.

**A while since I wrote a decent Bayformers story. I'm not quite sure where I'll go with this, but I'm free with suggestions. Anywho, I have renamed this story, so don't look for it under "Your Heart Will Lead You Home." The new title is a reference to a book. Take a real wild guess if you can.**


	3. Let's Play Doctor

3. Let's Play Doctor

Crosshairs hazily opened his eyes the next morning to see a blob in front of him. He repeatedly blinked his eyes until an older man supported by a chair next to the door came into view. He gave a yell and tumbled out of the bed, startling Drift from the other side of the room and forcing Hound to run in with a lamp.

"It's about time you got up," the man spoke, his voice gruff and tired. "The sun's up, which you should be, too."

"Ah, buzz off, ya show pony," Crosshairs spat, glaring at the man.

The newcomer towered over him by a foot, dressed in a neon green medical officer's uniform with white high lights and E4 printed over his left shoulder, his electric eyes behind his small glasses pierced through a soul much like theirs'. He had snow white hair, and a few laugh lines etching on his face. Growing on his face was a thin mustache and a small beard.

"Um, Crosshairs?" Drift started.

"Shuddup," Crosshairs ordered.

The newcomer cocked his fair head.

"I don't think you should threaten him," Hound agreed, suddenly realizing who it was.

"Shuddup or I'll box yer ears," Crosshairs threatened the specialist. "And you," he added to the stranger, "better tell us who ye are, or Ah'll belt ya."

"Then allow me to introduce myself," the white haired man growled, "as your medical officer Ratchet."

Drift grinned and Hound burst out laughing at Crosshairs' shocked expression.

"B-b-but, ye were dead," Crosshairs stammered.

"What?" They turned to find Sam in the doorway, looking like he couldn't believe it. "You were dead?"

"I was never dead," Ratchet said.

"Your head was shown to be melted down," Drift pointed out.

"I am here, am I not?" Ratchet asked.

"But Doctor–"

"Not in front of the boy," Ratchet pleaded. "There is a lot that I am sure he won't like to hear."

"And I'm _still_ pissed at you about the pheromones ideal," Sam told Ratchet, who just gave him a small smile.

Hound slowly lowered the lamp. "Bee took your death pretty seriously."

Ratchet's eyes widened before they dimmed. "Where is the scout?"

"Downstairs," Sam pointed out. Then he asked, "Where you the one who covered me in the blanket?"

"Yes," Ratchet answered as he slowly made his way to the steps.

"Are you okay?" Sam wondered.

"Ah don' think he is," Crosshairs said. "Right leg looks like it's messed up."

Sam nodded. "Just out of curiosity, why did I hear a girl screaming?"

"The doctor scared Crosshairs," Drift explained.

"He did not," Crosshairs growled.

"Yes, he did," Hound chuckled.

Downstairs, Bumblebee was thirsty. He found a small glass in the cupboards and searched in the fridge for something to drink. That was when he heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

"Sam?" Bumblebee asked, looking up.

He froze. It wasn't Sam. It was an older man who suddenly looked up at Bumblebee. When he saw the odd hue of blue, Bumblebee immediately calmed down.

"I'm gonna guess that you are one of us," he stated. "Which one, exactly?"

"Let's see," the man thought sarcastically. "The only one you've known for a long time...ring any bells?"

Bumblebee felt his world **spinning**, torn between confusion and disbelief. Not knowing whether to believe him or not, Bumblebee cautiously stepped forward until he was inches away from the man. He stood by almost a head in height taller than the scout, whose fingers were slowly reaching out, the tips coming in contact with the sleeve. He looked down at the touch, his lower lip quivering, mouth ajar before embracing the medic.

"You're alive," he sobbed. "Primus, you're actually here. We saw a footage of you being shot down, and your head being melted into cyber-matter. We saw it all happen..."

The CMO had grunted in pain, but he seemed to relax after a while, knowing tears were running down Bumblebee's cheeks and soaking his shirt with them.

After a moment, Bumblebee collected himself and stood straight up. "What happened to you?" He touched Ratchet's forehead and spoke, "You're burning up."

"I knew it!" Sam exclaimed, appearing from the doorway. "Let me feel you."

"Huh?" Crosshairs poked his head after Sam had stepped forward.

"Not like that," Sam snapped, glaring at the sheepishly grinning Autobot. Then he turned and placed his hand on his forehead, only to yelp and pull away. The doctor was overly warm, no doubt with a fever. That was when he could see in Ratchet's eyes that he was ill from whatever type of hell he was put through.

"Dear Primus, what has happened to you?" Drift asked as he came in.

"Samuel, I am..." Ratchet never got the chance to finish as his face contorted with pain, clutching his chest and buckling to the floor.

"Hound!" Sam cried out. Immediately he was there, picking up Ratchet. "Quick, get him on the couch."

Bumblebee came over to the couch, horrified that Ratchet's eyes were glazed over. "We need to give him medical help."

"Ya want us ta get 'im to a doctor?" Crosshairs sounded like it was a very stupid idea.

"He's got chest pains, a fever, a bad leg, and only God knows what else," Sam scolded. "If we don't get him help soon, he'll probably die."

Bumblebee looked horrified.

"In case y'all didn' notice, we dunno how ta fix up humans," Crosshairs pointed out.

"I do," Sam said. "My mom use to work at a hospital herself. I just need towels, blankets, a good amount of warm water, ice, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the medicine cabinet plus medicine, bandages, thread and a sewing needle. You guys got all of it down or do I need to repeat it?"

"We are at your services, Mr. Witwicky," Drift said. "We will search for them now."

"Bee, I need your help," Sam said as the other three left.

"With what?" Bumblebee asked.

"To look after him while I try to take off what I can," Sam answered.

Bumblebee's eyes were as big as saucers while Ratchet glared at him.

"Don't give me that look," Sam said. "It's not gonna help with these wounds and a high fever. Which reminds, I'm going to heat up something for you." He got up and asked Bumblebee, "You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, sir," the scout saluted before Sam left the room.

Ratchet grumbled under his breath before he slowly reached down and tried to take off the boots.

"Here, let me," Bumblebee offered as he gently slapped the hands away. He sent one flying when he heard Crosshairs yell and shout, "Tha' hurts!"

"It's hot, what did you expect?" Sam's voice snorted.

The phone came alive and Sam cursed under his breath. Then he heard a small chatter before he said, "I can't do anything about it. I have someone who's ill and injured in my house – I don't have much time left. Yeah, high fever and shortness of breath..."

Interested, Bumblebee looked up.

"Found the sewing kit," Hound announced, plopping it onto the coffee table.

"Careful," Bumblebee nearly hissed, making sure nothing was damaged. "One false move and Sam will have our heads. And that's just a warning!"

Hound blinked before they heard Sam continued, "Yes, I'm the house to the left on Marine Avenue and Norumbega Drive. Yes, thank you so much. I owe you one big time."

Sam suddenly came in.

"What's wrong?" Bumblebee asked, slowly standing up.

"That was an old colleague," Sam whispered. "She's coming over to help check on Ratchet."

Bumblebee groaned.

"That does not sound good?" Drift guessed as he came in with a bag of ice.

"What gave it away?" Hound almost asked sarcastically.

"It won't be good if she finds out what you guys are," Sam said. "Okay, I just gotta think here." He knelt down and instantly took the ice from Drift. Taking a towel, he wrapped the ice in it and used his hand to gently lift Ratchet's neck up. "This may hurt a little."

"A little?" Crosshairs snickered.

"Do you want me to break _your_ leg?" Sam snapped, shooting him a deadly look, forcing the paratrooper to back off.

Nearly an hour had passed since then, and they finally got Ratchet cleaned up. The coat and boots were discarded, but Sam kept the rest on in case something else should be badly damaged, to further the pain. He had put in a movie to keep the other four busy as he tried to tend to Rachet's condition. The young man looked up when he thought he heard a noise, only to see a small dog padding over to him.

"Wha' in th' name of Primus is tha'?" Crosshairs shrieked, jumping onto a chair.

"It's a dog," Hound answered.

"Haven't you seen one before?" Bumblebee asked him.

"Not tha' big," Crosshairs said.

Sam groaned and slapped himself on the forehead.

"You know, ya kinda look like Jack Sparrow," Hound told Crosshairs.

"There should be a captain in there," Bumblebee quoted.

"Whatcha talkin' abou'?" Crosshairs snapped. "No way Ah could be like 'im."

"Well, you do have a trench coat, you like to get drunk when there's spare high grade around, you love to fight, and you do say such witty things," Drift stated coolly.

"He's not lying," Sam agreed.

Crosshairs glared at Sam, but the boy only smiled. It faded when there was a knock on the door.

"Must be the doctor," Drift said.

"Okay, try to act cool and don't do anything stupid unless necessary," Sam instructed. "That means you, Crosshairs."

Crosshairs gave Sam a "Who, me?" look, only for Sam to narrow his eyes and head for the door. Ratchet's gaze followed the human as he opened the door. A woman with tendrils of dark hair stood in the doorway, shivering.

"Lucy, you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but where's the patient?" Lucy asked, her eyes studying the Autobots.

"He's on the couch," Sam pointed out.

Lucy nodded, but now she was curious about the others. Something about them had caught her off guard. Her dark eyes wandered at Drift and Crosshairs before turning slowly to Hound, Bumblebee, and Ratchet. It seemed puzzling to her. It felt like as if they were all familiar. A little too familiar. It wasn't much of their physical appearances, it was their clothes that seemed to spark interest in her.

"That's some pretty mean style you all have," she complimented. Then she chuckled, "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you guys were the–" She stopped and turned to Sam for an explanation, her face showing surprise and confusion. "Sam?"

"Lucy, meet the Autobots," Sam said sheepishly.

**And no, Lucy is not an OC. She is a character from the Cybertron cartoon. I will warn you that there will be OCs, but either it is the villain(ess) or they are minor. Just to give you a heads up.**

**Reference of the title: the slogan for ****The Bone Season**


	4. Attack of the Collie

4. Attack of the Collie

It was actually quiet for once. So quiet that the only thing making noise was the collie panting.

"But I thought...I heard...they..." Lucy couldn't put her finger on it.

"Well, guess not," Sam spoke, making Crosshairs snicker.

"Easy, Doc," Hound said as Ratchet tried to sit up.

"I'm okay," Ratchet grunted.

"Oh, here. Let me have a look at you. We'll need to get you out of those clothes," said, switching into nurse-mode. "Although, if it's just his right leg we're dealing with that has pain, then I'm afraid we're going to have to cut them off."

Sam opened the sewing kit and handed her a large pair of sewing scissors. She stopped and turned to the others. "Um, I might have to ask you guys to leave right now."

"Down righ' ridiculous," Crosshairs verbalized, slamming a fist onto the arm of the chair he was in, forcing her to jump. "Ya humans an' yer prissy ways ta conceal yerselves. As Cybertronians, we're always _nude_. Ah don' understand th' reactions ya humans display ev'ry time one of ya ends up–"

"Crosshairs," Drift spoke, his glare telling the paratrooper to shut up.

"Okay, I need anyone who is not the patient or a human to get out right now," Lucy snapped. "Just go. Sam, I need your help to support his leg and try to keep it still while I cut these off."

Bumblebee joined the others as they went outside, the collie tagging after them.

"What the hell was that?" Hound questioned, glaring at Crosshairs.

"Wha'? Ah was just wonderin'," Crosshairs said.

"It's the law," Bumblebee defended the humans, pointing a finger at him. "Plus, no one _likes_ to walk around naked, and it makes them uncomfortable. Not to mention the fact that the human body for both genders are different."

"How do ya know?" Crosshairs asked, folding his arms across his chest arrogantly.

"I've been with the humans longer than you have," Bumblebee shot back. "I mean, what were you thinking?"

Crosshairs just shrugged.

"I swear to Primus–" Bumblebee never got the chance to finish as Crosshairs grabbed a broken rake handle and pointed it at him.

"Walk th' plank," Crosshairs challenged.

Bumblebee, however, turned the tide as he picked up a nearby bat. "I'm gonna get you, Crosshairs!"

Paling, Crosshairs dropped the stick and took off, Bumblebee chasing him around the yard.

"No, wait! Just take a joke," Crosshairs pleaded.

"This is entertaining," Drift commented.

Nobody remembered the dog until Crosshairs was tripped by it, Bumblebee piling on top. The paratrooper groaned, then began to panic as the dog came trotting over.

"Bee, get off!" he shrieked, struggling to get up.

"I will when I give you a whopping of your life," Bumblebee vowed.

"How abou' after we get away from tha' thing?" Crosshairs shouted.

"Huh?"

Crosshairs freaked out as the dog came closer and bolted away. Thinking that he was playing a game, the collie chased him around the backyard, as Bumblebee rolled in the grass laughing. He laughed even harder as Crosshairs grabbed a branch from the tree and hauled himself up. He looked down and glared daggers at the dog, whose tail was wagging and it was panting as it looked up at him.

"Crosshairs, do not panic," Drift said. "Neighbors will be staring."

"Ah don't care if th' humans' creator thinks Ah'm a nut job," Crosshairs spat at him. "Get dis furball away from meh."

"Come on, Crosshairs," Bumblebee said, who had calmed down as he got up. "It just wants to play with you." He picked up a branch from nearby and waved it wildly. Interested in the branch now, the collie padded over to the scout. Crosshairs slowly descended down.

"To say the least, I have never seen you panic like this since we had found you," Drift stated.

"Ah swear one of these days tha' Ah'll show him who he's messin' wit," Crosshairs declared.

"I'd watch it," Bumblebee warned. "Sam can get mean and tough when he wants to be."

"I've heard," Drift nodded.

"Ah, he doesn't look that harmless," Hound commented.

"Have you ever heard of the saying 'Don't let looks deceive you?'" Bumblebee replied. "He's the _definition_ of it."

"Well, let's go," Crosshairs piped, walking for the gate.

"Where are you going?" Hound asked.

"Far, far away...from here!" Crosshairs answered.

"We cannot leave just yet until we know for sure what has happened and where Galvatron is," Drift said.

"Ah'm not clear," Crosshairs said. "Wha's in it fer meh?"

"What's in it for you?" Bumblebee echoed angrily as he stepped forward.

"How about me not throwing you into the bay where the sharks can eat you?" Hound threatened.

Crosshairs took the threat seriously and sat by the tree.

"Would you really?" Bumblebee whispered.

"No," Hound grinned. "I just wanna see if he'll stay."

Bumblebee nodded before they were given the okay to come back in. He sighed and got up as they headed inside. He stopped when he heard a low, rumbling sound echoing in the house.

"Con!" Crosshairs shouted, jumping onto Hound. For the first time since she came here, Lucy actually found this amusing.

"Hairs, get off of me!" Hound shouted, trying to pry Crosshairs off of him.

"I heard a growl, I heard a growl," Crosshairs yelled, clinging on tightly.

"I'm like a fat ballerina who likes to shoot and beat whatever the pit is on my neck," Hound growled.

"Here, let me," Sam said, pulling Crosshairs off of him.

"B-but there was..." Crosshairs couldn't finish.

"It's okay," Sam tried to calm him. "It was just your stomach. It's perfectly normal. That's what happens when humans get hungry."

Bumblebee looked up to see Ratchet propped neatly against the couch with one of Sam's sheets wrapped neatly around his waist. The medical officer was annoyed by the shouting, not that it wasn't natural for them to act that way.

"How you doing, Doc?" he asked.

"He's just needed stitches," Lucy spoke. "The cut is deep, yet thankfully clean; so it wasn't a problem. Although, you do have a temperature. And there were the frequent chest pains that come and go."

"Pain?" Sam seemed shock. "Isn't that a sign of a heart attack?"

Lucy gave him a look, and then he knew that was what she was thinking the entire time.

"So, unless we have something here that will grant you access to take a look..." Drift let the sentence hang in the air

"I'm afraid we're going to have to take him to a doctor," Lucy supplied, standing up.

"We can't," Bumblebee retorted. "What if some rogue from CW is tracking us down? Or worse? He doesn't have proof that he exists."

Crosshairs smirked. "Really?" Turning to the computer, he stride over to it and sat down.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Sam wanted to know.

"A simple process," Crosshairs said. "It won't take long."

"Now, wait just a second," Hound said. "Does it come temporarily, Doc?"

"The chest pains? Yes, why?" Ratchet said.

Immediately, Drift got what Hound was asking. "Hound, that is dangerous. One quart of it to the human body could probably kill him."

"Only in small doses, Samurai Jack," Hound said.

As Lucy put her things away, Bumblebee knelt down to look at the medic. "Ratchet?" When he didn't reply, Bumblebee continued, "Ratchet, what happened? We're not in the clear. We saw a footage of you in KSI headquarters–"

"Bumblebee, please," Ratchet said.

"Doc..."

There was silence amongst them all. Finally Ratchet gave a sigh.

"I had just received Optimus distress call when I was still in California," Ratchet explained. "I was mostly keeping myself on the lesser roads when one day I picked up Cybertronian signatures. It was Lockdown and his crew, Cybertronian bounty hunters who sell their services to the highest bidder. I had thought and __hoped__ that Lockdown's spark had been extinguished hundreds of years ago, at the start of the war. But when his signal flooded my radar my hopes have been given up. I did the only thing I could, and sought cover. I made it to a bay and attempted to conceal myself in a broken-down and abandoned ferry.

"Cemetery Wind must have managed to find you," Hound growled.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ratchet said. "Still, my code of conduct and Optimus' beliefs about harming humans kept me from returning fire. I attempted to flee, but there were too many and they had sealed off any chance I had at escape."

"So, once you were injured, what happened?" Lucy wondered, nervous.

"Lockdown, generous as he is, offered me an ultimatum," Ratchet spat, disgust clear in his tone.

"Optimus' location for your life," Drift said.

Ratchet stared at him.

"Ah was given th' same choice before Hound and Drift came ta save meh hide," Crosshairs explained, turning to them. "Wha' Ah don' understand is how ya managed to return from th' dead."

"Ah, yes," Ratchet said, closing his eyes. "This was after my spark was ripped out. For some odd reason, once I had gain consciousness, I had found myself in a void with stars and nebulae."

The whole room was silent.

"The Realm of the Primes," Bumblebee whispered.

"There was a voice," Ratchet recalled. "I don't remember what it said, but the next thing I knew I had awaken near this place, looking like this and hearing the voice informing me that Sam lived nearby. It possibly brought me back to stop Lockdown."

Bumblebee blinked.

"Lockdown...is dead?" Ratchet was surprised.

"Optimus killed him in Hong Kong," the scout informed him. "That was roughly a long ways back."

"I can't believe that our own people would do something so cold," Lucy said. "And after all of the times we have worked together to fight the Decepticons from doing harm to all of us."

"Greedy bastards wanted ta make replicas of us," Crosshairs told Lucy. "They used transformium ta make these imposters. Big mistake it was."

Lucy didn't stay much longer after that – only long enough to help Sam move Ratchet out of the couch and into the bathroom to get washed up while Hound stood watchfully at the door.

The day went by casually. Lucy left to go to work, while Sam had to run some errands. When night came around, Bumblebee took the cot from the closet and set it down carefully before he began to make it and the bed all together. By the time he was done, Ratchet had come in, supported by crutches. The CMO took one look at the cot and the bed before he realized what was going on.

"I am not taking the bed."

"The hell you aren't," Bumblebee shot back. "If you think for one second that you're taking the cot, then you're downright out of your mind You're hurt and sick. I'm fine. _I'm _taking the cot, and you're take the bed. No questions asked."

Ratchet was about to make a comeback before he was cut off by an absolutely venomous look from Bumblebee that said 'I am going to torture you if you don't do it.' Sighing, he conceded, "Fine. But I do not approve."

"No one said you have to," Bumblebee concluded.

Once Ratchet was settled – and grumbling about how stubborn the scout was – Bumblebee came downstairs to find Sam sitting on the bottom of the steps.

"So, will he be okay?" the scout asked, surprising his human friend.

"Lucy thinks that he shouldn't be walking on it if he can help it. That's why he has the crutches. He may be able to put more weight on it in a few days, but she won't be able to take the stitches out for at least another week so he needs to avoid any contact until then."

Bumblebee looked up and started to laugh.

"What?" Sam asked, turning to find Crosshairs asleep on the floor, drooling a bit with the collie on top of him.

"You think after that little episode outside..." Bumblebee couldn't bring himself to finish.

"Yeah," Sam said, but he sounded like he was deep in thought.

"What's the matter?" Bumblebee wondered.

"I don't get it," Sam replied. "Why didn't Megatron – sorry, Galvatron – try to kill you guys? Why did he throw that object at you?"

Bumblebee seemed to be in thought.

"Someone must have made him an offer." They looked up to find Drift in the kitchen doorway, both hands supporting himself in the entrance. "I have seen this happen twice before."

Sam frowned. "Who would make an offer to him?"

* * *

><p>The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. The heeled boots made a click-clackity sound as the stranger made its way to the small tavern of the cave. It's eyes scanned the room, right before they found the former Decepticon leader seated nearby. The stranger noticed that there were a few others, but not created by KSI.<p>

Galvatron glanced down at the stranger. It was a tall and elegant looking being. There was hardly a curve on the body anywhere. It wore a long dark cloak with a war dress, a slit making way to show the legs. The slender, scaly blue hand reached up and pulled back the hood, strands of white blonde hair cascading to the shoulders and moonlight colored eyes peering up at him. The moon caught hold of milky skin. Flesh screamed human to him.

"Kill her," he said, not bothering to question her presence.

The stranger smiled. "After all that's done for you?" she questioned, her voice low and sweet with a hint of a British accent.

Galvatron leaned in closer. "So, you were the one that sent him to Earth."

The woman closed her eyes, her long lashes laying on her sculpted cheekbones. "It wasn't how I planned it, yes." Then she opened her eyes once more. "But I did hear of the ancient relic that you used against the Autobots to make them disappear."

Galvatron frowned. "Why is something that worthless so interesting to you?"

"I would assume that the cube you used can, no doubt, be a downfall to the Autobots, though it could be an advantage."

"So, you want it?"

"Precisely."

"Why should I give it to you? I have nothing else to live for. What's in it for me?"

The woman smiled and pointed at the crystalline that had reached the floor. Galvatron frowned before he got up and headed for it. He looked the same excepto for one crucial thing: his eyes weren't as wide as they were before and his voice...his voice returned to its original tone.

"I cannot make you invincible, but I can make you better," the woman boasted. "But if you want to be fully completed..." She extended a hand out. "The relic, now."

Galvatron hesitated, then reached into his subspace pocket and pulled out the cube. He let it float to the woman and it landed in his hand. She brought it close to her, marveling at the object.

"_Magnificum_," she breathed. She turned and strolled off.

"Who are you?"

She stopped, not bothering to acknowledge the Decepticon leader.

"I am Nagaria the Vok," she answered before disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel.

**This out of the last four was my favorite one to day. My most favorite one is still coming. It's not here yet, but it will be the wait. The next chapter is going to be fun for me. We get three new characters coming in on the way.**

**Some of you might have been surprised at the antagonist, were you now? A lot of people have predicted – or confirmed – that the Quintessons created the Cybertronian race. Hence, the reason why I chose their creators differently. I know they were scientists in the Beast Wars cartoon, but does anyone remember the quote Lockdown said: "All these species mixing with species – it upsets the cosmic balance. The creators, they don't like it." That was what reminded me of the Vok. If their little project was disturbed, it irks them. Heck, they were willing to destroy Earth all because of the war between the Preds and Maximals.**

**I don't know when the next one will come around, but it will be a little longer than the last few. Until then, R&R.**


	5. Who Are You?

5. Who Are You?

Bumblebee didn't get much sleep at all. He tossed and turned on the cot, trying to fall asleep as the previous day raced through his mind. He stared up at the ceiling. The Yeagers must have thought that they were dead. Maybe the whole city thought so, though he doubt that they had their respect. Maybe some, but not from all of them.

At around five in the morning, he looked over where Ratchet rested, looking peaceful in his sleep. The medic looked tired and worn out, due to the trauma he had been through. After all they have done for the humans, fighting by their side, swearing to protect them, watching over them for guardianship, this was what it all came to. And for what? Just to be made worthy as inferior to humans. He would do anything to prove them all wrong.

Bumblebee's eyes brightened. Nobody worked hard on the battlefield like they did. He remembered Ironhide coming back once from Spitsbergen all worked up and exhausted. What right did they have to treat them like lesser beings when they had helped protect them for the last nine years? They've been fighting a single war longer than the wars the government officials ever had seen in their lives.

The scout sat up and looked over to where Ratchet was at. He threw the covers off of him and swung his feet over the cot. He got up and quickly made his way to the door. Opening, the door, he made sure no one was in the living room. He used the banister to make less noises as he tiptoed downstairs. He spotted his jacket hanging on a chair. How did it get there now? Shrugging, he took the jacket and put it over the shirt he wore.

The cool air from outside welcomed him as he opened the door. He took in a deep breath, feeling the coolness rush into his lungs. He exhaled, enjoying the night. He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Sam woke slowly the next morning, waiting for his body to adjust before he could acknowledge the new day. He groaned slightly as the two days previously before came rushing back to him. He sat up and yawned, stretching and rubbing his eyes. He got up and rushed upstairs to see if the others were awake. When he reached Ratchet's and Bumblebee's room...<p>

He froze when he found nothing except the medic asleep, but no signs of Bumblebee. Clenching his teeth, the young man quickly ran back to the living room. Finding it empty, he paused for a moment to see if he could any sound coming from anywhere in the house.

"Bumblebee?" he called out.

A faint noise from behind caught his attention and his eyes found the back door slightly ajar. He poked his head outside looking for any sign of Bumblebee, but he only found his dog, Buster, scratching the fence. He came back inside and found Drift coming down the stairs. "Hey, have you seen Bee?"

"I thought I saw him run out into the city earlier this morning," Drift answered.

"He did _what_?" Sam demanded.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Crosshairs asked, poking his head out of the room.

"Nothing," Sam growled. "Drift, you keep the others here and watch Ratchet while I go find him."

"Like the pit I'm staying," Crosshairs said. "I'm coming with."

"No, you're going to stay here," Sam snarled.

"Fine," Crosshairs huffed. "Then I'll tell the entire world what we are, 'specially to the government."

"You wouldn't," Sam growled.

"Try me," Crosshairs deadpanned.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee wandered down the sidewalk as the city came alive. The air in Maine was different from that of California and Illinois. California felt humid and Illinois as the same. Here, it had the smell of the ocean. He took in another breath. It was wonderful to him!<p>

"Well, lookee here, boys," a man's voice rasped.

Bumblebee stopped and turned to an alley. A young, dark haired, scruffy man advanced towards a human woman, his group not too far behind him.

"Why don't you go find something worth while to do instead?" the woman growled. She didn't look happy, even though it did make her more striking. She was slender, shorter than him by a foot, medium built; short Swedish blonde hair with a rose streak in her bangs caught the rays of the sunlight. He face was pale and heart shaped, two hooded blue eyes that were rimmed by violet. By the looks of her black and cobolt blue outfit, she could be a biker.

"Attitude," the man hummed. "I love it." He came closer and gently ran an arm down her right arm. "You and I could do some damage."

The woman yanked her arm away from him. "_You_ are going to _be_ damaged if you do not keep your hands off me," she threatened him.

Her voice suddenly sounded familiar. It wasn't long before it seemed to hit the scout. How could he be _so_ stupid?

"Sally!" he exclaimed without thought, coming into the alley. "I've been looking all over for you."

The woman looked up at him in surprise, wondering who the heck he was.

"How you doing?" Bumblebee continued. "Is it really you? God, I missed you so much." He wrapped his arms around her.

"Do I know you?" the woman hissed.

"Let's see, the only Autobot scout," Bumblebee whispered. "Sound familiar to you?"

The woman pulled back and set her hands on his shoulders. She gazed into his eyes and her own widened. "Bumblebee?"

"Hey, man," the ring leader said. "Hate to break your little reunion up–"

"You _won't_ be able to if you leave," Bumblebee hissed, turning around to glare at them.

"Oh, watcha gonna do? Throw me in the dumpster?"

Bumblebee bared his teeth, the one dubbed Sally getting ready to help defend him.

"You heard him," a new voice spoke. "Leave them alone."

Bumblebee looked to his left. This was was around his height, dark skin with cropped raven black hair and intense blue eyes. He was muscled, not heavily. Like Ratchet, he had restless features, but he seemed to be more alive in the eyes. He noticed that his silver shirt had red high lights on the shoulders and by the way his eyes were shaped, even he knew who this stranger was.

"Aye," another voice spoke, this one with an Italian accent. "You've got to have respect for the women."

Bumblebee looked behind him to find another figure approach them. This one was attractive for his own persona. He had olive skin, squared shoulders, a stubbled face, and high cheeks. His bright eyes were alive with the need to fight and his hair was red and neatly combed. Must be sporty with the cherry red coat and the black shirt and the dark red pants.

"You know, we got more guys than you do," the leader stated.

"Listen, if you guys are deaf," Bumblebee snarled. "I don't know what it is that you want with her, but you're not going to get anything from her. If it's intercourse, you can forget it because..." He trailed off.

Sally looked between him and the men before she walked forward. "Look ya bastards," she said. "This bitch ain't going to take crap from you. I'm a lady, and I don't like to talk about the people that I sleep with around a bunch of glitch heads like you guys. So you can take your junk and get crawlin' out of here, you got me? We've got nothing that you want."

"Screw them, bro," one of them snarled. "They ain't worth it."

Bumblebee was surprised as he turned to her after they left. "You know, you didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't really going to take any from them," Sally said.

"You sounded like a harlot," the redhead commented.

"That's what I was going for," Sally pointed out.

"Let's just get out of here in case they're still around," the first ally said.

Bumblebee nodded as they went to the sidewalk.

"I didn't expect to see you as a human," Sally said.

"Well, I didn't think you were still alive after what happened in Egypt," Bumblebee replied. "I mean, after that three way body experience, I was actually worried."

Sally stopped. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, you were like a big sister to me."

The redhead frowned. "Do we know you?"

"You _should_, Mr. Fancy Pants," Bumblebee half said, half teased. "I was the only scout on the team."

"Bumblebee!"

The Autobots froze. It was the voice of Sam!

"Sam?" Sally asked, turning to him and the other two Autobots. She frowned at them. "Bumblebee, who are they?"

"Who are we? Who are you?" Crosshairs demanded.

"I asked the question first, so I think you should answer it," Sally stated, folding her arms under her breasts and glared at him.

"Why should we tell ya?" Crosshairs demanded.

"We can ask you the same," the first ally shot back.

"Do I know you?" Drift asked Sally.

"Of course, you should know," Sally piped, putting her hands on her hips.

Sam frowned, still not getting it.

"My name," Sally introduced herself, "is Arcee."

"I am Mirage," the redhead inserted.

"The name's Sideswipe," the other man added.

* * *

><p>Nagaria tapped a finger against the arm of the throne. The body was present, they found one of the last shards of the Allspark. Her scout should have been here by now. His task was so easy, compared to the others!<p>

"Empress, the doctor is getting impatient," one of her kind spoke, his voice throaty like a frog's.

Nagaria glared at him, noting him that she didn't care as he shrank in his place.

The heavy doors slammed closed and Nagaria looked up. A woman wearing garments exactly like her approached the Vok empress, kneeling at the throne.

"I trust that you have succeeded?" Nagaria asked, though this one had an Irish accent.

"I have the relic," the imposter replied, holding the cyan colored cube to the lady.

"Well done," Nagaria smirked as the cube levitated into the air and floated to her;.

The woman's hair shortened, darkening from white to honey brown, her bright eyes turning an autumn gold brown. Green scales peppered the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, and ears. The dress faded to a tunic and trousers. The copy of Nagaria no longer existed. Here stood a young man.

"The glamor spell worked perfectly, milady," the young man said, watching the empress stand up. "Galvatron was suspicious of the deal like you said, but the end of the bargain was what made him change his mind."

"And the Autobots?"

"Vanished. From the point of view, I suspect that they were teleported somewhere else now as those Earthlings."

Nagaria smiled. "Perfect. I love it when a plan comes together. Those dirty, pathetic foursome will be nothing except creations trapped in flesh and bone." She stood up and nodded to a small figure. "Doctor, proceed."

A tiny Cybertronian, almost the same size as Brains and Wheelie, scuttled over the body. It seemed to be examining it, causing Nagaria to frown. Usually he would bark out orders to these drones nearby. This time, he was probing and poking in curiosity. Something must be wrong.

"I need parts," he spoke at last. "Kill ze little one."

"That will not be necessary," Nagaria said, causing the small drone to sigh in relief. "Destroy the big one instead." She didn't care for the dying screams and the begging before it went offline.

"Shard and cube."

Nagaria let the cube float to the doctor. One of the drones plucked it as another drone presented the corpse to him. The doctor immediately barked orders, having some of the components of the chest being ripped up as the body was about to be fixed up. The Allspark shard danced over the surface before it disappeared into the presented corpse's newly sewn and fixated chest. The doctor shouted something in Cybertronian as he slammed the cube against him.

An ear-splitting scream suddenly echoed throughout the room. The drones winced and the halflings covered their ears; however, it showed no effect against Nagaria with closed eyes, even if the noise did hurt her hearing. By the sound of it, it was probably worse then getting an arm torn off or being murdered.

By the time she opened her eyes, the light had died down and the corpse was gone. She gazed down at the being below her, his chest heavily rising and falling. She smiled as she descended down the stairs, her eyes focused on the resurrected being.

"My champion," she whispered. "My _pretiosum_ _venator_."

The man grunted and tried to sit up. His face was twisted in agonizing pain. He panted, feeling sweat drip from his face.

"We have succeeded, milady," the doctor informed.

The half-naked man looked up, a scar traveling up from the center of his chest to the small of his back.

"Welcome back from the dead, my favorite hunter," the Vok lady spoke with a sardonic grin.

_**Who is this mysterious mercenary that was resurrected from the dead?**_

_**How will the Autobots adjust to being human?**_

_**Will Sam keep his sanity altogether?**_

**Find out in the next chapter.**


	6. Shopping Spree

6. Shopping Spree

"I swear we need to have a competition between the two of you," Sam said as he watched Ratchet and Sideswipe dig in. "You're both eating like it's the end of the world or something."

Ratchet glared at him.

"Well, you're a different story," Sam corrected himself.

Crosshairs choked on his milk, some of it spraying from his mouth and some from his nose.

"Crosshairs is choking," Drift said.

"Don't worry, I'll fix it!" Hound exclaimed.

He clapped Crosshairs hard on the back and he ended up face first into the pancakes. Arcee and Mirage started howling with laughter as he came back up, electric blue eyes murderous as they fixed on the weapon specialist.

"Hound, start running," Bumblebee warned.

"Crosshairs, be nice," Ratchet scolded.

"He hit me," Crosshairs growled.

"I saved you," Hound disagreed.

"Which reminds me," Sam started. "We're going to have to get you guys new clothes."

"Shopping!" Bumblebee exclaimed, shooting up from his chair and stood with an excited grin. Everyone gaped at him like he was a nut. He slowly sat back down.

"What's that?" Drift wondered.

"It's this thing humans do by going out in public to stores and buy stuff," Arcee explained.

"So, what's clothing?" Crosshairs grumbled.

"You're wearing it," Sam answered.

The paratrooper did not seem happy. "Ah, pit no!" he exclaimed. "Forget it! There's _no_ friggin' way I'm going to any of those things to get no cover material. No way, no how!"

* * *

><p>"How good do I look in this?"<p>

Sam looked up from his book and studied Crosshairs. After ten minutes of chasing him, Sideswipe had decided to knock him out and they had to get him onto the bus. To his utter surprise, Crosshairs finally decided that shopping for clothes wasn't a bad idea.

Of course, he didn't really until Arcee decided to pick this outfit for him. He was wearing dark blue jeans with a black belt, a white buttoned up shirt, a thin trench black coat, black cowboy boots, dark aviators – Where on Earth did he find them? – and of course a baseball cap.

"You're a character," was all that Sam said. Then he added looking at the paper, "Bradley Tressler. Seriously, where did you come up with these names?"

Crosshairs shrugged. "Don't know, but Hound wasn't too sure of his."

"You named him after a character from _That 70s Show_," Sam pointed out.

"Actually, I took two names and mixed 'em up," Crosshairs stated.

Sam just rolled his eyes before Mirage came out, arms folded as he revealed himself to be wearing a black shirt and pants with red sport shoes. "What is with you guys and black?" he wondered.

"Can't help it," Mirage said with a shrug. "Besides, I look good in this."

Sam's eyes darted between the two. Were they _both_ vain or was it all his imagination?

"Sam, can I get this?" The young man looked up to find his partner holding a white stetson.

"You guys are picking, I'm not," Sam said.

"Yes," Bumblebee cheered silently as he disappeared into the men's section.

Meanwhile, Ratchet had carefully been looking for something that fit his likes. Drift was nearby, studying the objects that caught his eyes. Arcee had joined them, already having her items picked out. "Who knew that shopping could be exhausting?"

"Or complicating," Drift added.

"The only way you are making it sound like either one is if you're doing to much work rummaging through them all," Ratchet spoke.

"Well, I'm sorry that you're even using a crutch," Arcee huffed.

Ratchet glared at her murderously, forcing her to hide behind Drift.

"Can we help you?" The Autobots looked up to find two people, a man and a woman around Tessa's age, standing nearby.

"No, we're fine," the doctor answered bluntly.

The girl studied Drift's current outfit. "Wow, you must really like blue."

Arcee looked at him, worry building up in her eyes.

"Blue serves as a memory for a friend of mine that passed on years ago," Drift told her. It wasn't a lie, he was white and red before. The paintjob was because of a fallen comrade.

"Oh." She looked ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"It is all right," Drift said. "I'm sure he's in a better place."

Arcee sighed in relief. Ratchet was surprised at how calm Drift was being towards the humans, considering that he use to be a Decepticon and the attitude the humans had towards their kind. Must have been from years of trying to learn how to keep his cool.

"It must be hard to lose a friend," the girl said.

"Yes," Drift said softly with a bit of woe in his eyes. "He was a good person."

"Sad to hear that," the guy said. "Where are you from, anyways? We've never seen you around here."

"I am from..." He paused, remembering the origins of his human alias. "Brooklyn. My family came from Ōgata, Akita. The same little village."

"You don't sound you know their culture," the guy said. "I swear that if you were gay, you'd remind me of that stuff they call hentai madness."

Ratchet was shocked as the guy's girlfriend was mortified. Arcee narrowed her eyes, and was ready to defend her comrade; but what Drift said next made things worse.

"And you would know Japanese porn how?"

The man flinched, and the place seemed to have grown dark as the girl slowly turned to glare at him.

"Yeah, Rad," she snarled. "You would know _how_?"

The man's mouth stuttered, trying to explain himself.

"I didn't think you would know all of that stuff yourself," Ratchet said in amusement.

Arcee burst out laughing as Drift's face turned a bright red. The girl rolled his eyes as the man grinned. "We'll be going now," she said, dragging Rad with her.

"Drift, I cannot believe you did that," Arcee chortled.

"Well, that man had it coming," Ratchet mumbled under his breath.

Drift was still flustered as Sideswipe approached them. He stopped when he noticed Drift's bright red face and Arcee's snickering. "What did I miss?"

* * *

><p>"Where is he?"<p>

"Outside, milady."

Nagaria looked out to the exit. Out of all the places on this planet they had to end up on, it had to be this cold. Pulling her cloak close to her, she made her way to the outside world.

Cold air immediately welcomed her. The icy breeze caught the white curls of her hair. Brilliant blue scales began to form around her eyes and across her nose, acting like a domino mask. The scales made her ears pointed. The scout that had fetched her the cube and answered her question came out after her.

"Milady, wait," he called out after her.

By then, a man approached from above, covered in black from head to toe. He jumped down from the section of the ship and nearly stumbled.

"I trust you find yourself comfortable," Nagaria said to him.

He didn't bother to answer her as he growled, "I have warned you before that our alliance is a contract. A contract which had expired when I had been killed in battle."

"Your kind never ceases to amuse me," Nagaria purred. "Even while they tried their hardest to play hero on Earth."

There was a pause as the bitter wind whistled.

"I don't care," the hunter answered.

Nagaria rolled her eyes. How she managed to keep her cool without trying to rip his head off, even the scout would never know.

"What happened, anyways?" she finally asked. "I thought you had them all in your grasp, unless you were to...predictable."

Nagaria gasped as she felt a hand grab her throat, causing the guards to aim their weapons at him. Air was quickly escaping her as she clawed at his hand. Finally, he released her and she dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

"You call that predictable?" the hunter snarled. "I have been told that countless times, and I have never been caught until you hired me for whatever illicit game you toy with your creations."

A powerful blow to the head was not what he had expected to come next. A clawed hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and he heard a female voice hiss, "You will not use such violence against the Vok. Hold thyself or I will personally send you back to your death."

"Ye can't," a voice spoke, Scalpel scuttling up to the stranger. "I vould need another shard."

"Patience, Torosh," Nagaria coughed, trying to stand up. "Let him be angry. He was when he had to turn around."

Torosh looked at her mistress, red eyes burning with a desire to kill someone she loathed. She released the hunter and backed off.

"My dearest hunter, your contract was bounded by life." Nagaria never took her eyes off of him. "We have sworn your undying allegiance to us. We have a new one for you: hunt down the Autobots that were turned human, and bring them _all_ to me. _Every_ _single_ one of them."


	7. A Searching We Will Go

7. A Searching We Will Go

Sam was forced to leave for a few days. Which meant that the house was all to themselves. And boy, they had never been so bored before in their lives. Even Ratchet looked like he needed _something_ to do.

And they still were when night came around. Arcee was fast asleep, her head resting against Drift. Mirage was waving something in front of the dog as Ratchet kept his gaze out the window. Now had to have been a good time to break silence.

"I'm sick of this crap!" Crosshairs exclaimed, as if on cue. "I'm leaving."

"And go where?" Ratchet asked.

"Anywhere but here," Crosshairs snapped. "The Yeager farm, KSI, I don't care. I hate being stuck in this stinkin' town."

Ratchet stood up, his leg slightly recovered and the stitches removed, courtesy of Lucy. "How, exactly?"

Crosshairs opened his mouth, but stopped and thought over it.

"How on Earth can a dog keep himself occupied?" Hound wondered, staring at the dog Sideswipe decided to call Butch.

"It's a dog," Sideswipe sighed. "They don't think like sentient beings do."

Crosshairs folded his arms and sat in a chair, steaming mad.

Ratchet watched as they all either retired to their room, or just simply fell asleep. Sure, leave him be to think to himself. Things had begun to drag in the past days. The Decepticons were probably never bored, but they were not vicious or violent. Ratchet regretted not being so after what Cemetery Wind did to him. He shuddered at the memories that came rushing back at him.

Something caught his eye. He looked over to a shelf and saw a game on their. It was entitled _Clue_. He had heard of that game. Back when they were together, Mikaela Banes had explained to him how six people were invited to a man's house and he was blackmailing them. Then he forced them to play a game to see who had murdered him.

Ratchet looked over to see three seasons of some mystery show he had yet to learn of. This all actually gave him an idea.

* * *

><p>"Ratchet's gone missing!"<p>

Sideswipe's sudden shouting forced everyone awake, jumping or screaming in the process.

"Ratchet's gone missing! Get up, get up! Ratchet's gone missing! Call 9-1-1! He's missing!"

Crosshairs stumbled out of his bedroom. "What?"

"The doctor isn't here," Sideswipe said, gesturing in an animated way.

"You've lost it," Hound said.

"No, _mi_ _amigo_," Mirage said, appearing from the kitchen. "His presence is missing."

There was silence. Arcee frowned, Bumblebee looked like he was ready to faint, Sideswipe paled. Drift seemed in thought, Crosshairs scratched his head, and Hound wondered where the heck he could have gone off to.

"However, he did leave a note," Mirage added, showing them a piece of paper.

Arcee snatched it from him and read the note. She quickly scanned it before frowning and reading:

"Dear fellow comrades, I have gone missing. Your mission: find out where I went. The game will commence once you are given your new human names, since I think Crosshairs did his homework, though he didn't do much of a job giving us proper names" She was interrupted by a yelp of shock. "Just kidding, I was only giving you a hard time. However, I did give you secret names. The winner is whoever finds me, as long as they find me before Sam gets back from his little trip. P.S. This is a treat I'm giving you to keep you occupied.

"He did all of this just to keep us occupied while Sam was gone?" Then she added with a smile, "Clever doctor."

"What the hell does this mean?" Hound demanded.

"We are going to play the good doctor's game," Drift said.

"Let's just do it," Bumblebee said, throwing a hand up. "It'll save us all so much time."

"Well, raise your hand if your thoroughly disenchanted with our dear ol' Ratchet," Mirage sighed.

"We're not sticking around here until we find Ratchet," Arcee said, hands on her hips.

"I'm not clear," Crosshairs said. "What's in it for me?"

"How about I don't use the dog to sick you?" Bumblebee threatened.

Crosshairs looked intimidated. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Bumblebee growled.

* * *

><p>"Um, let's try here," Arcee suggested, looking up at the building. It was an abandoned bungalow, and by the looks of it made her wonder why nobody had bothered to fix it up.<p>

"The humans sure know how to abandon something precious," Drift sighed.

"Come on, we'll mourn about it later," Arcee groaned, grabbing him by the ear and pulling him inside.

Inside, it was disgusting. The floors creaked, the walls were covered in mold and moss, the ceiling leaked, the place smelled. Arcee nearly gagged as she pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. Drift was not far from behind her, trying hard not to vomit at the smell. They didn't dare go up the stairs.

"Ratchet?" Arcee called out. "Ratchet, can you hear me?"

"He could be unconscious," Drift pointed out.

"Okay, this is insane," Arcee said. "This town has about five thousand people. How are we going to find him? He had to at least have left us a clue."

"Nothing," Drift finally confirmed. "Come, let's try someplace else."

* * *

><p>Crosshairs, Sideswipe and Hound decided to check the lighthouse out by the bay, since they had seen a movie where one was really creepy. They crept up the stairs that squeaked and creaked, flashing their lights up the stairs. Bumblebee seemed nervous since he had seen those types of movies too, but Hound didn't mind. He wasn't much interested in such things.<p>

A piercing shriek cut through the silence and Sideswipe jumped as Hound whipped out a lighter, spinning around to find Crosshairs swatting at a cobweb stuck to his face as he tumbled down the stairs.

"AHHH!" Hound rolled his eyes and went to the flailing mech, Crosshairs immediately hitting a part of the wall. It gave way, the paratrooper crashing into the newly discovered passage way.

"Really?" was all Sideswipe could make out.

"Ow," Crosshairs groaned. "What just happened?" It still escaped him but now wasn't the time to get all worked up. He just found an important clue that could help finish this game! Helping the warrior to his feet, Hound supported him as they shared the secret passageway together.

"Good work, Hairs," Sideswipe said.

"Let's hope this is our ticket out," Hound said.

"Remind me again why we have Ratchet for a medic," Crosshairs grumbled in dismay. With a clank to the head, the trio continued on in silence, unaware of a shadowy figure right behind them.

* * *

><p>"Did you find anything yet?" Bumblebee asked his companion. When he got no answer, he looked up. He rolled his eyes as Mirage started posing in the mirror. They were currently investigating Camden Opera House's museum, surrounded by artifacts that had been a part of the opera house. One of them happened to be a mirror with a crack in the upper left corner. Mirage seemed to be studying his human form, find it worth pleasing.<p>

"I look as good as Crosshairs!" That earned him a smack on the back of his head. Bumblebee mentally scolded the mech and looked around, thanking Primus that no one had caught them sneaking into the storage room. He lifted a sheet up from an old piece of furniture, still no signs of Ratchet.

"Do you think he could've been here?" Bumblebee asked Mirage. There was no response from the mech. He looked back and no Mirage. "Mirage?"

A hand snapped out of nowhere and grabbed Bumblebee's ankle. The scout freaked out and slammed his sneaker against the hand and earned a yowl.

"DAMMIT BEE!" Withdrawing his hand, Mirage examined it and groaned. He was brusing a bit.

"Serves you right," Bumblebee huffed.

His phone began to vibrate in his pant pocket. He fished it out and found a text from one of the other guys. "Change of plans. We found a clue."

* * *

><p>"That's all you found?" Arcee asked, staring in disbelief at the yellow jacket. "Are you sure there wasn't anything else?"<p>

"We're tellin' ya, that's all he wrote," Crosshairs replied.

"The tunnel lead straight to the cemetery," Hound mentioned.

Mirage's face paled. "C-c-cemetery? I'm not going to some place where the dead lay. What if they come out of their graves?"

"It's fiction, ya nitwit," Crosshairs spat, waking him alongside the head.

"Enough," Bumblebee said. "We have to find Ratchet before this game goes _too_ far."

* * *

><p>The cemetery was the spookiest place to be. Especially at night.<p>

"We're past the point of no return," Hound said. "This place could be booby trapped."

"With what?" Sideswipe questioned.

"Beware of ghosts, ghouls, vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies, witches, dhampirs, gargoyles, sea creatures, fairies, wendigos, and of course the Headless Horseman," Crosshairs warned.

"That's just a urban legend," Arcee told him.

"We must be quick while the night is young," Drift suggested. "Let's try to use violence as our last resort."

"Oh, is that you did back on Lockdown's ship?" Bumblebee asked.

"...Okay, maybe that wasn't the best example," Drift said.

"Well, he's not here. Let's go," Crosshairs boomed.

Mirage grabbed his shoulder.

"What?"

"Do you hear that?"

There was silence.

"I don't hear anything," Hound replied.

"Exactly."

Now that he had mentioned it, there was chattering of squirrels and chirps from birds, plus the occasional hooting from an owl. Now it was completely quiet. Where were the animals?

Bumblebee looked down and found mist suddenly ghosting over the ground, almost concealing their feet. He heard one of them whimper. That was when they heard thunder in the distance.

"Great, now it's about to storm," Arcee groaned. "We're never going to find him."

"We have to keep looking," Drift said.

"He's right," Bumblebee agreed. "We've only come this far; it would hurt him if we gave up."

_We lost him once,_ he thought to himself. _We can't lose him again._

He cringed as he felt a drop on his cheek and he pulled his hood over his head as rain slowly began to fall down on them softly.

"Ratchet, come on!" Hound called out. "This isn't fun anymore!"

Something dark rushed by, forcing Mirage to jump. Sideswipe whipped around. "What was that?" he asked.

"Bee, do you remember that movie?" Arcee whispered to the scout.

"Which one?" Bumblebee asked.

"The one that Seymour showed us."

"Oh, yeah."

"Do you remember the scene in the end?"

"Not really, was it good?"

"A lot of people died there."

A low moan caused her to stiffen. Bumblebee stood still, afraid to see what it was. There was a loud creaking sound that could make their ears bleed. They slowly turned around to find a mausoleum opening. Crosshairs shook as Drift paled, Hound walking forward before he pried the door opened. Bumblebee came forward and aimed his flashlight down the mausoleum.

"Okay, who wants to go down the creepy stairs first?" Sideswipe asked.

Arcee whacked him behind the head before grabbing the flashlight and crept down the stairs with the others right behind her.

"This is spooky," Bumblebee commented.

"I couldn't agree more," Drift replied.

The low moan sent shiver's down their backs as they moved forward. The steps stopped before a narrow tunnel laid before them.

"I don't like this," Crosshairs gulped, only to yelp as something whacked him him along the head.

"Pull yourself together," Hound snarled. "Except to get locked down here, there's nothing to worry about."

Something grabbed his ankle. He screamed, they all screamed, and they ran out of the mausoleum. They didn't even bother to turn back and find the medic laughing, having a good time and being pleased with himself.

****Don't ever, and I mean ever, participate in a game that Ratchet would create. Because that is what will happen if you do.****


	8. Bumblebee's Outrageous Plan

8. Bumblebee's Outrageous Plan

The day Sam would come home finally came. After the "game" Ratchet set up for them, they were afraid to take any suggestions from him. At least it did keep them occupied. Still, it scared them with what happened in the cemetery.

"Ratchet, I cannot believe you did that," Drift said.

"Well, you did have it coming," Ratchet pointed out.

"You had me scared for a moment," Arcee scolded.

"Please don't make us do it again," Mirage appealed.

There they all were, at some type of hangout uptown. They sat around a table, enjoying the night. Except for Bumblebee, who was drifted off into his own little world.

Arcee seemed to notice. She reached out and clutched his hand. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Bumblebee responded softly.

"You haven't touched your meal," Arcee whispered.

"I'm not hungry right now," Bumblebee uttered.

"Hound, please help me get to him," Arcee said.

The weapon specialist sighed. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"These humans," Bumblebee finally admitted, waving his hand towards the other humans. "Most of them, they don't care for what we've done in the past. We've been working our tailpipes off just to keep them safe. What do we get in return? No gratitude, no praise, _nothing_. Just the idea of being used as their technology. I just want us to have some recognition. To be known as friends and allies of the human race, not as infestions or NBEs from another world."

"A say what?" Crosshairs asked.

"Non-Biological Extraterrestrials," Bumblebee explained. "Don't ask what it means. It just isn't fair."

"Well, kid," Mirage said, "what are you going to do about it?"

Bumblebee stayed silent. He didn't know if he should answer it or not. His eyes did seem to brighten.

"Bee's got an idea," Sideswipe said.

"I'm gonna hurt them where it hurts the most," Bumblebee said.

"Bumblebee," Ratchet said. "You're not telling us that you plan on world domination–"

"N-no, not that," Bumblebee said, raising his hands in defense. "I'm just saying that…" He paused. "The humans have no right to treat us like this. It's their planet, I understand, but we should be treated like we're them. Guys, I'm thinking about suing them. I'm going to sue the human race, if not their government and military usage."

There was silence. Sideswipe burst out laughing as Mirage snickered.

"Okay, didn't think you're _this_ desperate," Arcee mumbled.

"Is this a joke?" Drift asked.

"I'm not trying to be funny," Bumblebee said.

"You're not," Hound said. "Are you crazy? They'll kill us all if we even do!"

"I'm in," Crosshairs said.

"What?"

"Why not? I would like a little pay back," Crosshairs said.

"Crosshairs, I can see that you've been hurt by them," Arcee said. "But if you don't let it go, it's gonna eat you alive. And if this fail, we're gonna look completely..." She paused at the newcomer.

The man walking into the building was the same height as Bumblebee, but older. He had short black hair with a brutal scar that ran from the middle of his hairline to somewhere beneath his jacket. Piercing green eyes stared right back at them. His skin was paler than theirs, maybe more than Ratchet's. He had a mean look to him. It looked scary and…familiar.

"What? We'll look completely what?" Bumblebee asked.

"Pathetic," the man answered.

The whole table was silent. Slowly, the scout turned around to look at the man.

"Lockdown," Ratchet whispered, his face paling.

"I thought you said he was dead," Mirage hissed.

"I was, until I realized that luck was on my side," Lockdown said.

"Well, isn't that convenient for you, ya slagger," Crosshairs sneered. "What, did our creators think that you were more worthy than all of us combined, including Prime himself?"

"Not more than he," Lockdown replied bluntly. Then his eyes met Arcee's. "Well, you look better than I expected. Especially since the day you stole the ancient relic from Megatron himself."

"Well, I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop by and take a souvenir or two," Arcee responded.

"What do you want?" Hound demanded.

"I want all of you to come with me," Lockdown answered.

"Like hell we will," Crosshairs reacted.

"Yeah, what makes you think we're stupid enough to just waltz out of here with you?" Sideswipe said.

"I can easily kill everyone in this building," Lockdown snarled threatingly. "Especially everyone in town."

The Autobots stiffened.

"He's bluffing," Mirage spat. "Right?"

Arcee stood up, slowly staring at Lockdown in the eyes. "We'll see," she says, right before she threw her drink at him.

Her comrades tensed. No one, and I mean no one, dared to do such a thing towards the bounty hunter. Maybe those such as Megatron – sorry, _Galvatron_ – would. Arcee grinned, pleased to see him in shock.

She was shocked when he shot out a hand, grabbing onto her arm.

"Hey, let her go!" Bumblebee said, jumping to help pull her free, catching everyone's attention.

"Not on your life," Lockdown snarled, throwing him into Mirage.

"Get away from her!" Ratchet interjected, trying to pry Lockdown away as a shadow fell upon them.

"Is there a problem?"

Lockdown froze. Bumblebee looked up. Everyone did. The bounty hunter slowly turned around and found himself facing another stranger: tall, broad, and thick as a mountain. His black hair was buzzed short, as if he were enlisting in the army. He wore pants and a black shirt.

"Who the pit are you?" he demanded.

"The name is Aaron Hyde," the man introduced himself. "My other name is for friends only…which clearly _you_ are _not_."

Bumblebee couldn't help grinning afterwards.

"So unless you want any trouble, let go of the girl and get out of here."

Lockdown's eyes shot around, to each and every one of the Autobot humans. He took a deep breath.

"Fine," he said, letting Arcee go. "But I will be back."

His footsteps disappeared out the door, but they could still feel his presence looming over, threatening their safety.

"All right now," a waitress said, turning to the patrons who were still staring. "The show's over, folks. This isn't a circus."

As soon as that was over, the Autobots couldn't help grinning.

"Ah," said Mirage.

"Welcome back, Ironhide," Arcee greeted, patting him on the back.

Drift and a few were in shock.

"B-b-but," Sideswipe stammered.

"You were shot," Ratchet hissed, not caring if the next table heard him or not. "We saw you being murdered by Sentinel."

"Really, Doc?" Ironhide raised a brow. "Did anyone tell you that sparks aren't made of metal?"

Ratchet pursed his lip to the side, causing Bumblebee to snicker.

"It is an honor to have you here," Drift spoke.

Ironhide blinked at him before his gaze narrowed. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"He's one of us now," Bumblebee explained, seating the warrior down.

"What if he double crosses us?" Ironhide seethed.

"He did a good job of not doing it for Primus knows how many years," Bumblebee grumbled, rubbing his neck.

"You cannot do this," Ratchet said.

"Do what?" Ironhide asked.

"Bumblebee wants to sue the humans that wronged us," Arcee told him.

Ironhide seemed amused.

"Yeah, let the whole world know," the scout growled.

"Do you know how much this will cost?" Ratchet hissed.

"If we can work out this plan, we can get enough money," Bumblebee said. "And I'm pretty sure Sam could help us in a way."

"It sounds like a bad idea," Drift agreed.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm all _about_ bad ideas," Hound commented. "I'm in."

"Hound, no," Ratchet said.

"C'mon doc," Crosshairs said. "Just think about the night they killed you."

Arcee's eyes widened before they narrowed. "That's it. The yahoos are going down!"

Drift glanced at Arcee. "If this much is in, then I will take part in it too, I'm afraid."

Ratchet clenched his fist, not wanting to, yet dying to at the same time. "If I do, will you all get off of my back?"

Bumblebee grinned.

"Well, I've got nothing else to do," Mirage said. "I'm in."

"Me too," Sideswipe grinned.

"How about you?" Arcee looked at Ironhide. "Care to join our little party group?"

"Eh, only if I get to trash someone down the road," Ironhide shrugged.

**And there you have it. The return of Ironhide and one of the basic plots of the story. Someone had asked me this a long time ago if he and Jazz would appear. As much as I wanted to, I won't bring Jazz back. Because a) he was ripped apart, and b) I never really planned to bring Ironhide back, but then I saw a tribute video of him on YouTube and it got me to change my mind.**

**Now the real problem: the attempt at suing. I have never been to one in court, nor have I participated in one. So, I'm going to need some help, even with the research. Plus, some pretty crazy ideas Please and thank you.**


End file.
